The Irish standard., 1887-08-20
THE WITCHCRAFT MANIA.
How 1t Originated and Where It Most
Did Thrive-English and
Scotch Superstition.
THE DAWN OF PROTESTANTISM

Was Really the Beginning Of the Witch
craft Era-The Presbyterian Clergy a
Committee Of Witch Finders
Superstition and irleligion are two
opposite forms OF error. With this i'm
portant truth T. F. Galwey, in the Ave
Maria, begins the article here cited: Su~
perstition ascribes divine OF super
natural powers to persons or things
that are not entitled TO theu}, while IL
religion refuses 10 ascribe these where
they really exist. 1t is q prevalent no.
ton that superstitution is confined TO
the ignorant. The phrase Ignorance
and superstition has enjoyed a wide
vogue, showing how easy it is for in
genious and plausible phrase makers to
disseminate untruth merely 10y playing
on the popular love for brief and pithy
expression. 1t is quite true that Ger
tain sort Of ignorance is favorable to
superstitutjon. but the sophistry OF the
phrase consists Of making superstition
seem TO be c0incident with what is
popular1y called igl,orance--that IS to
say, with jlliteracy aud general lack OF
knowledge Of the worlds ways; where
as the only ignorance that has any 'ogl-
cal connection with snper,titution is
Ignorance OF true religion. Speaking
OF the days whe'! the faith OF Christ
was comparatively new in northern
and, indeed, in Central Europe, the
writer says: DrYads ant! f;.i;ns, naiads.
sprites, elves aud fairies: still continued
to have their Yutaries. Hut as Chris
tianity gained strength and took an Of
fetal sanction, the ancient cult with
drew more and more out OF sight. Re
mote or obscure spots, such AS deep
glens in the mountains, OF gloomy
hooks in tie shadow OF the wood
probably ne ancient seats OF tlrese DEL
ties--wert resorted to by-,hese lMper-
fectiy converted Christians. by the
force Of circumstances, an air OF mys-
tery and OF weirdness began o enshrUud
these superstitiun*, which, liz the oiden
day had been conducted with ai' artless
frankness entirely devoid Ot aifectatlon.
and probably innocent Of fraud or OF
intentional deceit. Tue depth OF night
was now the chosen time, and the chief
promoters were. fox the most part,
grabbed and sour faced Old Woineil-
witpered and gibberins hays such as
Shakespeare pIesen's S 70 us III Mac
BETH" It Was undoubtedly this foul
and uncanny survival OF the old local
heathenism which developed III The
course of time into what is known as
witchcraft. 1t is true that magic, NEGRO
NANCY, divinsstion and other occult
snperstitions tiourisled, and vigorously
too. before the time OF Christianity: but
there is this important distinction to
bear in mind. Before Christianity the
public conscience saw nOthiug lnIrllsi-
cally i,npiOus IL these arts. So long as
they produced nc disastrous effects, or
supposed disastrous effects. their prac-
tice excited no i]I-will. On the con-
trary, they were, rather, regarded with
kindly interest il practised tor a good
purpose; for example. for the curing Of
disease and the like But once Chris
tianity was accepted. the very profes-
sion or practice oF such arts, no matter
what the end aimed at. was in itself an
impiety y-an i1reverent decsit, if fraudu
lent; OF defiance of God, it genuine.
Witchcraft implies some sort Of con-
tract with the internal powers, by
means OF winch preternatural privileges
are supposed to he obtained AS might
be expected, Germany. where Chris
tianity was latest introduced: gives us
the earliest records III Christendom of
the existence of witchcraft. There are
German synodal DEGREES OF the eighth
and ninth centuries which deal with the
matter; although it is worthy Of remark
that these DEGREES seem intended, not
so much for the suppression or punish
ment Of wiUchcraft. as for the con-
demnation OF those wioo, through a
foolish dread OF witchery, were tempted
to engage in q fanatica! pursuit of sup
posed witches that was likely to lead to
great injustice. The dawn ct Protes-
tantism was really the beginning of the
witchcraft era For even the famous
bull of Innocent VIII, near the end OF
the fifteenth century-the first official
pronounLement OF consequence on the
subject of witchcraft- was, like the de-
cree of several centuries before in Ger
many, TO a considerable extent for the
benefit of those accused of witchcrafJ.
ITS immediate purpose was to remove
the accused from the civil courts (where
the probability was that they would be
tried in accordance with ignorant and
popular clamor) to the ecclesiastical
tribunals, where common sense and
equity, as well!as piety and learning,
were more likely co prevail il.' But even
Il hen sWycliffe's Is and John. Huss' teach